Recipes

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 medium butternut squash, peeled, seeded & cut into 1-inch cubes

1 1/3 pounds sweet Italian sausage, crumbled

2 tablespoons minced garlic

1 chili pepper, seeded and minced (optional)

� cup dry white wine

1 cup chicken broth

3 tablespoons fresh sage, minced

Salt, to taste

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1 pound pasta

Shredded parmesan cheese, to taste

Place a large sauté pan over high heat. Add the olive oil and swirl to coat the bottom of the pan. Add the butternut squash and cook stirring occasionally until browned (3 - 4 minutes).  Transfer the squash to a small bowl. 

Return the pan to medium-high heat and add the sausage. Cook 6 - 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until well browned. Stir in the garlic and chili, if desired, and cook another minute. Add the white wine and let simmer 1 - 2 minutes, stirring and scraping the bottom of the pan to loosen any browned bits. 

Return the squash to the pan and add the chicken broth and sage. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Cover and let simmer, stirring occasionally, until the squash is very tender and the sauce thickens.

Meanwhile, cook the pasta according to the package directions. Season the sauce with salt and pepper. When the pasta is cooked, drain well and toss with the sauce. Serve topped with shredded parmesan.

2-3 pounds boned chicken thighs (or beef, if you prefer)
4 cloves garlic 
1 large onion 
3 tablespoons vegetable oil 
1 teaspoon salt 
2 tablespoons minced lemon grass
Finely chopped hot peppers (to taste) 
4 tablespoon fish sauce (Nuoc Mam -- available from Oriental grocery stores)  
1 tablespoon sugar 
1 tablespoons honey 

Cut chicken into small nuggets. Peel garlic and slice finely. Cut onion into 1/2 inch strips. Peel off the hard outer layers of lemon grass stalk and discard. Mince the soft inner layers of the stalk. Heat oil in large frying pan over medium heat. Add salt, garlic, and onion and sauté until onion is transparent. Add lemon grass and hot peppers. Fry 1 - 2 minutes until fragrant. Add chicken and cook until lightly browned. Mix in fish sauce, sugar and honey. Cook until chicken is thoroughly done. Stir occasionally and add water if necessary. Serve over white rice.

Fresh Cherry Pie 

Dough for a 9-inch double-crust pie

2 quarts fresh, tart cherries

2 tablespoons cornstarch

1/4 cup water

1 1/3 cup sugar

1/4 teaspoon almond extract

2 tablespoons butter

Wash, drain, and pit the cherries.  People have all kinds of advice on pitting cherries, almost none of which involves using a cherry pitter.  Martha Stewart suggests using a bent paper clip (instructions here!)  If you don't care how the cherries look (and it really shouldn't matter when making a pie), you can just cut a small slit in the side of the cherry and slide the pit out with your fingertip or the point of a small knife.  It isn't hard, but it is tedious. Listen to music or find some other way to occupy your mind with happy thoughts while pitting.

Mix the cornstarch and water until smooth, then blend in the sugar and almond extract.  Gently fold the mixture into the cherries and let stand for 15 minutes before pouring it into the pie shell.  Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.

Dot the filling with butter before covering with the top crust and fluting the edges.  Cut several slits in the top crust so steam can escape while the pie bakes.  Bake for 10 minutes at 450 degrees, then reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees and bake until the crust is golden brown and the filling is bubbling -- about another 40 minutes. 

Spinach Soufflé 

• Butter the bottom and sides of a two-quart soufflé dish.

• Prepare your ingredients: 

  • Wash and remove the stalks from a bag of spinach.  Chop the spinach and set aside.  (The typical bag of Farmers' Market spinach should be about right for one soufflé.)

  • Grate � cup of Parmesan cheese

  • Separate six eggs.  Set aside 4 egg yolks and 6 egg whites for the soufflé.  Store the remaining two egg yolks in the fridge for use in another dish.  (Note:  Farmers' Market eggs are the freshest and give excellent results!)

• Make a simple white sauce:  Melt three tablespoons of butter, whisk in three tablespoons of flour and continue whisking while cooking over medium heat for a couple of minutes.  Whisk in one cup of milk all at once.  Add � teaspoon of salt and some freshly ground pepper.  Cook until the sauce thickens � about 2 or 3 minutes.  Stir several times while it's cooking.

• Add the spinach to the hot white sauce and cook until it wilts � about 3 minutes. 

• Whisk in the egg yolks and Parmesan cheese, then remove from the heat and transfer to a large bowl.  Cool for at least 15 minutes. 

• About 45 minutes before you want to serve the soufflé, position a rack in the lower one-third of the oven.  Put about 1 inch of water into a pan large enough to hold the soufflé dish, place it in the oven, and pre-heat to 375 degrees.

• Beat the egg whites with an electric mixer until they are foamy, then add � teaspoon of cream of tartar.  Continue beating until soft peaks form � but stop before the peaks get stiff and dry.

• Spoon about a fourth of the egg whites into the spinach mixture and stir to lighten.  Quickly and gently fold in the remaining whites.  Don't worry if a few white streaks remain. 

• Put the soufflé mixture into the prepared soufflé dish, then place the soufflé dish into the pan of water in the oven.  Cook for about 25 to 35 minutes � until the soufflé is brown and puffy.  It is best to serve the soufflé immediately, but it won't deflate significantly if you have to wait a bit � and it's even very good as leftovers the next day.

Ratatouille

(The ULTIMATE Farmers' Market recipe . . . you can get virtually all the ingredients from our farmers!)  

Kohlrabi Sauté 

(Try it . . . you'll like it!)  

4 medium Kohlrabi Bulbs

1 Tablespoon butter

1 Tablespoon Olive Oil

1 clove garlic, finely chopped

1 medium onion, diced

1 Tablespoon Lemon juice

2 Tablespoons Parsley, chopped

Salt and Pepper to taste

2 Tablespoons sour cream

Peel the tough outer skin from the kohlrabi, then coarsely grate the bulbs.

In a skillet heat butter and olive oil. Add garlic, onion and kohlrabi and sauté, stirring for 5-7 minutes until kohlrabi is tender crisp. Stir in lemon juice and parsley, then season with salt and pepper to taste. Stir in sour cream and serve hot.

Yield: 4-6 servings

                                                                                                    -- Contributed by Lori Valentine

(With kohlrabi, of course!)  

6 - � inch pork chops

1 teaspoon vegetable oil

salt and pepper to taste

4 cups potatoes, peeled and sliced

2 cups sliced carrots

2 cups sliced Kohlrabi

1 � teaspoons salt

� teaspoon dried marjoram

� teaspoon ground black pepper

2 cups milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add pork chops and brown, seasoning with salt and pepper to taste. In a large bowl combine the potatoes, carrots, kohlrabi, salt, marjoram and pepper. Mix slightly and place in a 9x13 inch baking dish. Pour milk over potato mixture and top with browned pork chops. Cover dish with aluminum foil and bake in preheated oven for 1� hours or until vegetables are tender and internal temperature of pork chops are 160 degrees.                                                                                         

                                                                                                                -- Contributed by Lori Valentine

Aaron's Roasted Fresh Pepper Quiche

(Real men eat this quiche!)

2 each � fresh cayenne, jalapeno, and banana peppers 1 bell pepper � sweet onion 1 clove garlic, minced 3 eggs 1 � cups milk or half and half 1 tsp. prepared mustard � tsp. salt Pinch black pepper 1 cup grated mild cheddar cheese Cooking spray 9� pie shell

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Seed and sliver the peppers, wearing rubber gloves to protect your skin.  Thinly slice the onion and separate the rings.  Place peppers, onions, and garlic on broiler pan, spray with cooking spray and roast under the broiler, stirring occasionally until the vegetables are cooked and lightly charred.  Set aside to cool.  Beat the eggs well, adding the milk, mustard, salt, and pepper.  Place the cooled pepper mixture into the pie shell, top with grated cheese, then pour in the egg mixture.  If desired, top lightly with powdered cayenne.  Bake for 35 to 45 minutes.  Allow to cool for at least 15 minutes before serving.

Jalapeno Pepper Jelly

(Hot and sweet!)  

� cup jalapeno peppers, fresh 1 cup bell or sweet banana peppers 1 � cups cider vinegar 6 cups sugar 1 packet Certo

Mince peppers, wearing rubber gloves to protect your skin. Proportions of jalapeno and bell or sweet pepper may be varied to control hotness. Put in blender, using � cup vinegar to blend. Refrigerate overnight to marinate. Place peppers, sugar, and 1 cup vinegar in kettle over medium heat and stir until fully boiling (impossible to stir down). Remove from heat and let stand exactly 5 minutes. Skim off foam. Stir in Certo quickly and thoroughly. Pour in jars and let stand to jell before sealing.  Makes 6 cups.

Fresh Pumpkin Pie

(Pumpkin . . . it's not just for jack-o-lanterns!)

2 cups pureed cooked fresh pie or sugar pumpkin (1 medium-size pumpkin)

2/3 cup brown sugar, packed
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

2 large eggs

1 (13 oz.) can evaporated skim milk

Prepare pumpkin by cutting in half cross-wise and scooping out seeds.  Use a large, sharp knife and take care.  Place pumpkin halves cut side down in pan.  Bake at 325 degrees until easily pierced with fork (about 1 � hours).  After cooling, scoop out pulp and puree thoroughly in blender.

Blend pumpkin, brown sugar, salt, and spices. Beat in eggs, then stir in milk. Pour into 9-inch unbaked pie crust. Bake at 425 for 15 minutes, then lower temperature to 425 and continue baking until knife inserted in filling comes out clean (about 45 minutes).

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